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The
Economics of Rice Drying Technology in the Philippines
Abstract
The
purpose of this paper is to examine the actual farmers’
practices in postharvest grain drying operation using field data
obtained in selected rice producing municipalities in Isabela and
compared to the economic performance of mechanical dryers.
The results show that grain drying is not popular among
rice farmers. A
positive income effect on grain drying has been observed wherein
the higher the household income, the more farmers practice drying
operation. Farmers’
method of grain drying is unanimously manual solar-drying, and
none adopts mechanical dryer.
The rate of return to solar-drying operation is high.
In contrast, the rate of return to the best machine dryer
available in the country is so low that no farmer adopts it under
present conditions.
The
largest obstacle to the adoption of mechanical dryer by farmers is
its low fuel efficiency in the heating system.
If grain drying by mechanical dryer is to be promoted,
serious efforts must be made to improve this efficiency.
Michael
GRAGASIN, Ph.D.
Executive Assistant IV
, Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE),Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija
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